Bengal (VL-EPMe-30) Reference Manual
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Thermal Considerations
This chapter discusses the following topics related to thermal issues:
Selecting the correct thermal solution for your application (begins below)
EPMe-30 thermal characterization (begins on page 52)
Installing the passive (HDW-406 heat sink) and active (HDW-407 fan) thermal solutions
available from VersaLogic (begins on page 56)
Selecting the Correct Thermal Solution for Your Application
This section provides guidelines for the overall system thermal engineering effort.
Heat Plate
The heat plate supplied with the Bengal is the basis of the thermal solution. The heat plate draws
heat away from the CPU chip as well as other critical components such as the power supply /
management unit, the PCIe-to-PCI Bridge, and the Ethernet interfaces. Other components rely on
the ambient air temperature being maintained at or below the maximum specified 85 ºC.
The heat plate is designed with the assumption that the user
’s thermal solution will maintain the
top surface of the heat plate at 90 ºC or less. If that temperature threshold is maintained, the CPU
(and the other noted components) will remain safely within their operating temperature limits.
CAUTION:
By itself, the heat plate is not a complete thermal solution. Integrators should either implement a
thermal solution using the accessories available from VersaLogic or develop their own thermal
solution that attaches to the heat plate, suitable for environments in which the EPMe-30 will be
used. As stated above, any thermal solution must be capable of keeping the top surface of the
heat place at or below 90 ºC and the air surrounding the components in the assembly at or below
85 ºC.
The heat plate is permanently affixed to the Bengal and must not be removed. Removal of the
heat plate voids the product warranty. Attempting to operate the Bengal without the heat plate
voids the product warranty and can damage the CPU.
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